What to do if your child eats a coin

Many children may swallow foreign objects directly into their throats while playing with toys. Foreign objects stuck in the throat may cause suffocation, which occurs frequently and has a great impact on people's lives. Parents need to pay attention to this. When children accidentally swallow coins, toys, building blocks, etc., they must go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible, otherwise it may cause considerable risks.

What to do if your child eats a coin

"Anything that is not related to gas and enters the trachea is called a tracheal foreign body. Tracheal foreign bodies often occur in children under 5 years old, especially those who have just learned to walk to 3 years old, and the mortality rate is high.

Babies like to put melon seeds, peanuts, jellies, buttons, coins, etc. into their mouths, which can easily be inhaled into the airway when they cry, laugh or inhale. If the foreign body in the trachea is stuck at the glottis or below the glottis and blocks the trachea, suffocation is very likely to occur.

According to reports, foreign objects are generally divided into three categories based on the location where they enter children's bodies: tracheal foreign objects, esophageal foreign objects and gastrointestinal foreign objects. Among them, tracheal foreign objects are the most dangerous, while gastrointestinal foreign objects can generally be left for the baby to expel on their own.

"Children have poor discernment, so parents must ensure that everything their children can touch is safe." Zhang Yuling said that children's toys must be complete and small parts must not be easily removed. In addition, common items in life such as jewelry, zippers and buttons of clothes pose safety hazards if they are held by children. Therefore, she recommends that babies under 3 years old should not be given peanuts, melon seeds and other foods that are difficult to chew; babies under 5 years old should not be given bubble gum and small jellies; and small objects should not be placed around babies who have just learned to crawl and walk.